Men Only

Hartley, 1971

ALICE NEEL

Men Only

Victoria Miro

After what has happened in Norway it is hard to feel the right to keep on going and to keep writing my blog. Somehow it all feels so shallow, so selfish, but life goes on and one can't let this person stop us from living. I say this person or maybe just use his initials ABB and keep it at that, he said he rather wants to be hated than forgotten. So I try with many others, to forget him. But, not quite yet... while Norway now has turned so beautifully blood into roses, I sit here in London wishing I was there with my fellow Norwegians. I don't think I have never missed Norway as much as right now and I am glad I am going home in a few days.

The photos published of ABB has haunted me these last long days, about how he looks so perfectly composed, so absolutely normal. He does not strike me in any way as the "perfect" criminal, but rather like any guy you could encounter. I think this shatters my thoughts on how you look at evil. Can you really see if someone got less empathy and compassion for his/hers fellow human beings? I am not confident that I can anymore.

ABB's pictures in captivity does not look as flattering, but still does he look like someone who could kill over 80 innocents?

I went to see this Alice Neel exhibit the day before the Twin Attacks, as it has been called. Her male portraits in the "Male Only" exhibit keeps lingering. When I walked through the exhibits I was thinking I could point out what the mens profession was, their personality, maybe imagine their lives... but would I dare to do that today?

Phil Bard, 1957

John Evans, 1968

Alice Neel (1900 - 1984) is one of Americas most well known Portrait painters.
She had strong left-wing beliefs, she painted people she met on the streets to other famous artists, lovers, family, women, children, writers and trade unionists.

Richard Gibbs, 1965

Purvis, 1958

Stephen Herbert, 1977

Richard 1973

Alice Neel struggled with her own losses. Losing one daughter to diphtheria, and later her second daughter was taken to Cuba by her husband. The loss, brought her to a suicide ward at the Philadelphia General hospital. 

When Alice Neel got out of the hospital she stayed with her parents before she moved to New York. She concentrated successfully on her paintings and years later she had two sons Hartley and Richard portrayed here as young men.

Ned McCabe

Ed Ziff, 1963

Let us do like the Norwegians are doing right now, embrace each other, remember and care for each other. Maybe by our LOVE we can make this world a better place. I hope so! ABB is not going to be remembered as an instigator to hate (as was his intention), but one who brought us closer to each other. 

With Love

Kristin

Silence

A "Quiet" post from me today.

With a painting by Miro, 

that calms me down.

My thoughts are with my fellow Norwegians.

Friday 22nd of July 2011

With Love

Kristin

HELL

All photos:

Jake or Dinos Chapman
White Cube Mason's Yard and Hoxton Square
London
15 July - 17 September 2011© the artists
Photo: Ben Westoby
Courtesy White Cube

JAKE or DINOS CHAPMAN

White Cube

Mason Yard

Hoxton Square

It took me a while to write this post about the Jake or Dinos Chapman opening, since I only had a chance to go to the one in Mason Yard and had to follow up with the Hoxton Square a few days later.

(No, I did not see Kate Moss's butt spanking of another model:). I did get to experience the devilish power of the Chapman brothers. A power couple in the British Art World, known for their talent to provoke. This Art is certainly is not made to please or with any touch of beautification.... (that is for poodles).

For this exhibition the brothers stayed apart for a year in separate studios for so to bring it all together in this exhibit. After how I understand there is a mix of both of them in both places and you are not supposed to single them out for who has done what. But... the rumors has it that Dino the elder, is the one who is doing the elaborate drawings and human (religious) sculptures, while Jake is the one having done the paper and wood sculptures. Correct me if I am wrong.

Walking through the paper sculptures on the ground floor at Mason Yard I felt, well, this is quite tame....

With titles like:

"Beauty is for poodles"

"The grim reapers reaper"

"Inside the clowns pocket"

"Premature"

"The night descending like an embalmers shroud"

"Livid as the meat and dense as the slab itself"

"9/11 1/2"

"Postpartum howl"

Until one descended to the hellish basement, where the ghostly nazi figures where taking over the room even though it was filled with spectators. 

The drawings reminded me impressively of drawings by Goya, morbid and with a dash of gallows humor. 

A black Ku Klux Klan with an erection watching destruction...

At the Hoxton Square you also started out feeling slightly calm, before you met with these children with an attitude who studies at the Nazi school where they learn nothing... 

The kids noses are changed out with animal noses to the effect of horridness.

On the second floor at Hoxton Square are the "molested" religious totems. You can't see it on these pictures, you will have to get a closer look. But their faces are ripped out and has eyes sticking out, quite sickening. Also probably the reason for all the extra security that is guarding the gallery.

Why I ask? Why do someone feel the need to make such devastating Art? Does it have a point beyond the shocking factor? The worst is, it is actually really well done. 

When I now leave this page, I know it's weekend soon and that my world is a better world and I can breathe out and feel good. Maybe that is the point? For most of us that has a chance to see their art, the world is quite good, we just need to be reminded of the Hell that lurks behind, and appreciate the now.

With Weekend Love

Kristin

Saying goodbye to Lucian Freud with an earlier post!

JUST when I thought I was leaving HELL, OSLO is hit by terrorism!

Tulip with all my Love

Mushrooms Aown, 2010

Yayoi Kusama

New Paintings & Sculptures

Victoria Mira Gallery

A quick fun post here with Yayoi Kusama and her surrealistic, minimalist, abstract Pop Art. I discovered her first at the Miami Basel Art Fair, but Yayoi has been working since the 1950's. Still energetic and fresh she is now having a show at the Victoria Miro Gallery (one of my favorites in London).

Kei-Chan, 2011

Tulip with all my love 2-1, 2011

A Butterfly Achno, 2011

Self-Portrait Ohbty, 2011

Fruits epsob, 2011

Tulip with all my Love 3-1, 2011

Ten-ten and Ken-ken, 2010

Yayoi Kusama is also known as a novelist, filmmaker and fashion designer.

Have a great day!

With Love 

Kristin

Goldsmith Postgraduate Exhibition 2011

 GOLDSMITH 

University of London

Department of Art Postgraduate  Exhibition

This weekend the prestigious Goldsmith University is holding its Postgraduate Exhibition. In the past a lot of the Artists that has graduated from here has turned into big names. These days they do get picked up directly from their graduation shows (sometimes perhaps even earlier) to be presented at Galleries, "The Goldsmith effect" it has been named. Saatchi is one who is famous for spotting them early. Artists that has gone here are among others: Anthony Gormly, Damien Hirst, Lucian Freud, Sarah Lucas, Marcus Harvey, Tracey Emin, Michael Landy etc. 

The opening last night had been packed and buzzing. I ended up going there today instead, and it was calm as after a storm (with redundant beer bottles placed around the space and few students...).

The first part of the exhibition is inside a large gorgeous but run down building that was formerly a Bath. Here the students share "cubicle" spaces in threes, where they work on their art and studies (after what I understood). 

Here comes a few glimpses of what I viewed today:

Elsa Margues

Las Deilicias

Luna Jung-eun Lee

Untitled (from Beam series)

Pencil and gloss paint on aluminium

Lisa Selby

unfired porcelain and mixed media

Lee Leane

Interesting with this exhibit is also how professional these students are. Business cards with their information and web sites is available at nearly every cubicle. Some even had beautiful catalogues made.

Noam Edry

Eun Hye Shim

Smoke

Jihyun Jeong

Radihika Agarwala

(Series from "The Indian Summer Delight)

Watercolour, oil and gold leaf on panel.

Radihika Agarwala

(Series from "The Indian Summer Delight)

Watercolour, oil and gold leaf on panel.

These two paintings by Radihika Agarwala are stunning.

Megan Romey

Megan Romey

Modern Bitch Sculpture

Lots of humor in this piece, with the wigs in the mirror.

Hirofumi Isoya

Ideas of Ignorance

(Close-up of detail) Ideas and Ignorance

This piece does better when you see it in reality, quite a jewel.

The Second building is contemporary and you have a complete different feeling when you walk into these bright rooms with a fabulous view. I was thinking to myself, wonder how they divide who is going to be where in which buildings...

Nicholas Wootton

A video installation where you see yourself...

E.H. Cocker

The Duel

E.H. Cocker

The Theft

Not sure about the artist here, but you can have a sense of the space.

(if you know, send me a hint)

Francis Hilhorst

Colleaguse

Soheda Sokhanvari

The Shah of Iran October 1973

Soheila Sokhanvari

Moje Sabz June 2009 (2011)

Hans Diernberger

Put in the floor of a room was this video screen with a trampoline jumper. I thought the piece was quite inventive, it also felt calming somehow to sit and watch it.

Ji Hye Yeom

Portrait project

A mysterious adventurer´s face

Ting-Tong Chang

Free Range 2011

We stood there for a while expectantly to see his complicated machine shoot out eggs... but unfortunately Ting Tong said it would take the whole morning for him to fix it.

The Exhibition is only up until Monday, so you better hurry to catch it.

Have a wonderful weekend

With Love

Kristin